The purpose of this study is to show that, before registration of chronic degenerative disease and enforcing management system in health centers, the management of hypertension could achieved comprehensively and continuously by knowing the realities of drug-taking and tits related factors those who are being cared for in health centers.
For one year, a questionnaire about drug-taking realities of hypertensive patient was distributed at 8 health centers in Taegu from March 24. 1997 to April 24. 1997. The questionnaires were then collected and analysed.
The results are as follows :
Of 691 patients, 77.4% of patient were taking medicine regularly every day. The reasons why patients weren´t taking medicine every day was as follows : the blood pressure became normal(34%, the highest of the group), patients forgot(28.2%), it was difficult to buy the medicine(15.4%), there was no effect even though the patient took medicine continuously.
The experience of medical treatment outside of health center was 28.9%. The types and percentages of alternative medicine are herbs(50.5%), health food(24.5%), folk remedy(13.7%).
Among them, 44.6% of patients didn´t know if the medicine was effective. Medical treatment places excluding health centers was pharmacies(63.5%-the highest rate).
In simple analysis, the older on e was the more regularly one took the medicine, but there was no statistical relations. Of health activities, patients eating low-salt diet showed that they took the medicine regularly. Nonsmoking patients and those who experienced drug side-effect and those who doubted doctor´s prescriptions and instructions showed that they took alternative, excluding modern medicine.
Anti-hypertensive drug medication status according to recognition, attitude, experiences of hypertension showed that patients who thought that they should take anti-hypertensive drug during the whole life time took the medicine regularly(82.3%).
The reasons for patients turning to alternatives varied. In case of having subjective symptom(34.1%), those who thought they knew the hypertension well(36.6%), they decided to use alternatives.
In multiple logistic regression analysis the key statistics were as follows:
The older patients, patients who ate low-salt diet, patients who thought that they should take anti-hypertensive drug during the whole life time, all showed that they took medicines regularly.
And also patients who experienced drug side-effect, doubted prescriptions and instructions, and patients who had subjective symptoms, patients who thought hat he knew the hypertension very well, all showed higher rate of using alternative medicine.
In the future, at the health centers, to register and manage hypertension patients effectively, we must educate patients about regular drug-taking, and alternative without doctor´s prescriptions.
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